asked the Minister of National Insurance what saving he has effected by closing his office at Clayton-le-Moors.

The estimated staff savings resulting from closing the office are over £1,000 a year. In addition, there will be savings on equipment and services.

asked the Minister of National Insurance for particulars showing how dependants' benefits for industrial injuries differ from dependants' benefits for war pensioners; and what would be the cost of bringing them into line.

The main difference is that a war disability pensioner receives allowances for his wife and children, which are proportionate to his degree of disablement, when he is working whilst the industrial disablement pensioner does not. I regret I cannot give an estimate of the cost of making similar provision for industrial disablement pensioners as I do not know how many injured men with wives and children dependent on them are now working.

asked the Minister of National Insurance the annual rate of unemployment benefit now being paid to textile, pottery and engineering workers, based upon the latest returns; or what estimate of this figure he can make.

I regret that it is not possible to frame any reliable estimate of the sum involved.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is yet able to state the approximate date when dried currants, raisins and sultanas will be freed from control.

Balance of payments difficulties still prevent me from giving even an approximate date.

asked the Minister of Food whether the further increase of 6d. per dozen which he has decided to pay farmers for eggs will he passed on to the consumer or if the food subsidies will be increased by a corresponding amount.

The increase is seasonal and follows the practice of previous years. Retail prices are not varied to reflect seasonal changes in the prices paid to farmers. The subsidy is determined by the average price paid to farmers during the year as a whole and by the average price realised on sales to consumers.

asked the Minister of Food whether the objections to the proposed site for a new slaughterhouse in Sunderland have now been considered; and whether he will make a statement.

A meeting was held on 30th June between officers of the Sunderland Corporation, the Waterworks Company and the Government Departments concerned and the whole matter is being reconsidered in the light of the technical points brought out at that meeting.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that on 25th April last, a member of the sterling area, namely, the Government of Southern Rhodesia, stated that gold produced in that country could, under conditions laid down, be sold in ingot form so saving the cost of processing or manufacturing; that the Gold Coast Chamber of Mines asked the Treasury that the same facilities should be extended to gold mines in the Gold Coast; that, despite numerous reminders, this request has not yet been granted; that this involves a loss to the industry at the rate of some £87,000 a year and a consequential loss in taxation to the Gold Coast Government; and whether this request can now be granted without further delay.

The Gold Coast Government, amongst other Colonial Governments, was informed by telegram on 26th June that the requirement that gold destined for sale in premium markets should be exported in processed or semi-processed form could be dispensed with.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a White Paper setting out the new agreement on the European Payments Union; and when he expects to present any fresh legislation which may be necessary to implement these agreements.

The Protocol amending the European Payments Union Agreement, 1950, and the bilateral Agreement between the United Kingdom and Belgium, will be published, after signature, as White Papers. The Council has also decided to publish an explanatory document and I will arrange for copies of this to be placed in the Library.I am now advised that fresh legislation is not required and that sufficient powers exist under the European Payments Union (Financial Provisions) Act, 1950.

asked the Minister of Supply the total amount of defence work which has been allocated to Lanarkshire.

Contracts for defence work placed by the Ministry of Supply are not allocated to any particular region, apart from the special preference given to Development Areas, including Lanarkshire. I regret that the form in which our records are kept does not show the total amount of work on main and sub-contracts carried out in any one area.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will take steps to ensure that sufficient quantities of the special steel required will be supplied to the firm of file makers in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, to avoid the closing-down of the factory.

The firm have been asked for details of their steel requirements. As soon as the information is received I will see whether anything can be done to hasten deliveries.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now take steps to bring the work of the Board of Trade, the Ministry of Supply and the Ministry of Works, in Scotland, under the complete authority of the Secretary of State for Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

The hon. Member should await a statement about the scope of a Royal Commission which it is hoped to make after the publication of the Report of the Committee presided over by Lord Catto.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will announce the frequency channels to be allocated to alternative programme television stations, or when this data will be provided to the radio industry.

The Government intend, as stated in paragraph 10 of the White Paper on Broadcasting (Cmd. 8550), to seek advice on this matter from the Advisory Committee concerned with the development of television generally.

asked the Minister of Transport the expenditure on Class III roads in each of the Welsh counties during the years 1950–51 and 1951–52; what is the estimated expenditure for the current financial year; and what are the figures in respect of unclassified roads for the same periods.

I regret that the detailed information desired by the hon. Member is not available. To obtain it would entail considerable labour and research which I am very reluctant to undertake unless the hon. Member strongly wishes it.